Kerala family seeks redress after UKG student not allowed on school bus over unpaid fees

Malappuram (Kerala), Oct 17 (IANS) A family in Kerala's Malappuram on Friday sought action after their UKG student was left on the roadside for failing to pay the school bus fee.

The school at Chelambra is an aided management one where the salaries are paid by the state government, while the day-to-day running is done by a private management.

The family has approached the Education Minister, the State Commission for Protection of Child Rights, and the police seeking justice.

The incident involved a five-year-old UKG student of Chelambra ALP School, who was reportedly not allowed to board the bus earlier this week due to unpaid fees.

The child, who was waiting for the bus as usual, was told that he could not board because the fee had not been paid and was allegedly left on the roadside without the parents being informed, as the bus went off without him.

As other students boarded the bus, the crying child returned home. Neighbours saw the crying child and helped him reach home safely.

The school claims that the bus driver acted on the principal’s instructions.

The principal’s directive reportedly stemmed from a delay in the payment of Rs 1,000 as the bus fee for two months.

Later, school authorities and PTA members visited the family to apologise.

However, due to the mental distress caused to the child, the family has decided to withdraw him from the school.

The parents stated that the child was left on the roadside without any prior notice. While other students were allowed on the bus, the five-year-old was forced to return home in tears, they said.

The mother also reported that the school management behaved rudely when she visited to complain, telling her to leave.

The mother confirmed that the child will no longer attend the school, while school authorities maintained that they had no comment on the matter.

--IANS

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